Ayana Bala
(8) From the centre line of the sky some planets are in the north. Then they are said to have northern declination. If they are in the South they are said to have southern declination. One exactly on the centre line has no declination.
(a) If the Sun, Moon, Jupiter and Venus have 24° of northern declination they get 1 Rupa of Ayana Bala. This strength is nil if they have 24° of southern declination. For the intervening declinations, the strength has to be looked proportionately.
(b) The Moon and Saturn get one Rupa of Ayana Bala when they have 24° of Southern declinations. For the intervening declinations, the strength has to be worked out proportionately.
(c) Mercury has been given special consideration in this respect. He gets 30 Shastayamsa of Ayana Bala if his declination is 0 degree. The strength increases with the increase in declination from 0°-24° and he will get one Rupa of Ayana Bala when he has 24° of northern declination. He also gets one Rupa of strength when his southern declination is 24°. For the intervening degrees of northern and southern declinations, the strength has to be calculated proportionately.
(d) The Ayan Bala obtained by the Sun is to be doubled because the Sun is always direct and never retrograde. As he does not get any Chesta Bala, his Ayana Bala is doubled.
Yudha Bala
(9) This is the ninth kind of strength under the heading ‘Kala Bala’. Besides the Sun and the Moon if amongst the other planets (Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus and Saturn) any two be in the same Rasi, degree and minute, they are considered to be at war. For the method to work out Yudha Bala, refer to Sripati Padhati, Keshavi Jataka or Brihat Parasara Hora Shastra.
Chesta Bala
The Sun and the Moon are never retrograde in their motions. The remaining planets viz. Mars, Mercury, Jupiter. Venus and Saturn have both direct and retrograde motions. The strength which the planets obtain by virtue of their motions is called Chesta Bala (Motional strength). To work out this strength the facts regarding Mandoucha, Kshetra and Kendra etc., have to be worked out. This involves lot of arithmetical calculations. It is not possible to give those details here for lack of space. Still some information in this regard is given below —
(a) If the planet is retrograde he gets 60 Shastayamsa (one Rupa) of strength.
(b) If he is Anuvakra he gets 30 Shastayamsa of strength.
(c) If he is Vikala, he gets 15 Shastayamsa of strength.
(d) If he is in Samagama, he gets 30 Shastayamsa of strength.
(e) If he is Manda (This means motion be increasing but be less than the medium motion) and direct he gets 15 Shastayamsa of strength.
(f) If he is Mandatara (The motion be decreasing but be more than the medium motion) and direct, he gets 15 Shastayamsa of strength).
(g) If the motion be fast and be direct, he gets 45 Shastayamsa of strength.
(h) If motion be faster, and direct, he obtains 30 Shastayamsa of strength.
Naisargik Bala (Inherent strength)
This strength is inherent in the planet and never changes.
The Naisargik Bala of the Sun is 60 Shastayamsa, of the Moon 51.3, of Venus 42.85, of Jupiter 34.28, of Mercury 25.70, of Mars 17.14 and of Saturn 8.57 Shastayamsa.
Drig Bala
This kind of strength is derived from aspect. If a planet is aspected by benefics, the aspect is considered as benefic (favourable). To work out the strength of aspect, the difference in degrees etc., of the aspecting and aspected planet has to be worked out arithmetically.
If any planet is aspected by malefics, the aspect is treated as malefic (unfavourable). The strength of the aspect is to be worked out arithmetically. For details see Sripati Padhati.
Bhava Bala (The strength of houses or Bhavas)
In working out the strength of houses the strength of the following has to be calculated —
(1) The strength of the lord of the house.
(2) The Dik Bala of the house
(3) The strength of the benefic aspects.
Bhava Dik Bala
(a) Gemini, Virgo, Libra and first part of Sagittarius are biped signs. If these signs be in the Lagna, they obtain one Rupa of strength. If they be in the 7th, the strength will be nil. For the intervening houses, the strength has to be worked out proportionately.
(b) Aries, Taurus, Leo, the latter half of Sagittarius and the first half of Capricorn are quadruped signs. If they represent the 10th house, they achieve one Rupa of strength. In the 4th house, their strength will be nil. In between other houses the strength has to be calculated proportionately.
(c) Cancer and Scorpio are Keeta signs. If they represent the 7th house, they get one Rupa of strength. In the first house, their strength will be nil. For the intervening houses, the strength has to be calculated proportionately.
(d) Pisces and the latter half of Capricorn are watery signs (Jala Rasis). If they represent the fourth house, they obtain one Rupa of strength. In the 10th house their strength will be nil. For the intervening houses the strength will have to be calculated proportionately.
Auspicious and Inauspicious Drishti (as per Bold)
If there be more of benefic aspect on a house, deduct quantum of malefic aspect from it and the strength of the lord of the house and add Bhawa Dik Bala to it. The result will be the total strength of the house.
If the malefic aspects are more than the benefic aspects, deduct the quantum of the latter from that of the former. Further deduct the result from the total of the strength of the lord of the house and Bhava Dik Bala. The net result will be the strength of the house (Bhava) concerned.
Please refer to Jataka Padhati by Bhu Deva for determining the quantums of malefic and benefic aspects. Keshavi Jataka and Sripati Padhati will also be helpful.
Now we come to Shri Mantreswara’s views on this subject as given in the following verses in Chapter 4 of Phaladeepika.
1. A planet is said to possess six kinds of strength which are in the following order —
(1) Kalay or temporal.
(2) Chesta Bala or motional strength.
(3) Uchcha or that derived from its exaltation position.
(4) Dik or directional strength
(5) Ayana or that derived from declination (north or south).
(6) Sthana Bala or positional strength.
Mars, the Moon and Venus are strong during the night time. Mercury is strong all the 24 hours. The rest viz., the Sun, Jupiter and Saturn are strong during the day time.
The benefics are strong during the bright half of the month (Shukla Paksha) and the malefics are strong during the dark half of the month (Krishna Paksha).
Planets when they are lords of the year, month, day and house get 1/4, 1/2, 3/4, and 1 Rupa of strength respectively.
2. The Moon gets Chesta Bala when it is full. The Sun gets this strength when he is on the northern course. The other planets get Chesta Bala when they are in retrograde motion.
The planets are victorious in the planetary course when they are in the north and are not combust. A planet is said to possess full Uchcha Bala when he is in deep exaltation position.
As regards directional strength or Dik Bala the Sun and Mars get this strength when they are in the 10th house. Mercury and Jupiter get directional strength when they are in the 1st house (Lagna), Saturn gets this strength in the 7th house and the Moon and Venus in the 4th house.
